Back cushion, senakaate
- Museum number:
- 9-23024
- Permalink:
- ark:/21549/hm21090023024
- Accession number:
- Acc.4789
- Description:
- Long and wide rectangular Japanese back cushion, or "senaka-ate," woven entirely from rice straw ("wara"). Parallel shoulder carrying straps are spaced 4" apart and 16" long, with two braided loops at their culmination. The cushion narrows slightly at the bottom. The weave pattern is uniform, with flat, horizontal bunched straw "warps" and straw cords acting as vertical braided "wefts"; the bunched straw "warps" wrap over the sides to form soft, rounded edges. Precise date and location of acquisition unknown. length - 51", width - 15.5", thickness - 0.5
- Donor:
- Dai Williams, Estate of Karin Nelson, and Karin Nelson
- Collection place:
- Japan
- Culture or time period:
- Japanese
- Collector:
- Dai Williams
- Materials:
- Rice straw
- Object type:
- ethnography
- Object class:
- Cushions
- Function:
- 1.2 Gathering and 2.1 Daily Garb
- Accession date:
- March 20, 2012
- Department:
- Asia (except western Russia)
- Dimensions:
- length 51 inches, weight 15.5 inches, and depth 0.5 inches
- Comment:
- Senaka-ate" means "back protector" or "back support" in Japanese. It describes the mats worn while carrying raw agricultural materials over the shoulder as protection from wet, burdensome loads. The term "senaka-ate" is also used to describe a type of basket, known in Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures as "neko," "ichiko," "doshoi," "shoiko," "sengo senakaate," and "nekoza." This heavy basket, worn on the back with shoulder carrying straps, served the dual function of carrying loads and protecting the back from heavy, awkward or angular loads.
- Images:
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